Volunteer Comes To The Rescue After Residential Road Closures

EULESS (CBS 11 NEWS) – A first-of-its-kind upgrade in Texas has streets in one neighborhood shutdown, with no access for 24 hours. But one man is making sure folks can still get home.

This is the first time the new high-tech road treatment, meant to preserve existing asphalt and extend pavement life, has been applied to a Texas road. While it will seal the street for years, homeowners can’t drive on it for an entire day.

If you live on, hike, haul or deliver to homes on dozens of streets in Euless you might find yourself looking for some low-tech ways to save a few steps. That’s where Loren Johnson comes in.

(credit: CBSDFW.COM)

The Citizens on Patrol volunteer’s job is to get people from where they parked their cars to their homes in his city-supplied golf cart. “There was this one couple, they been camping overnight and they came home and had all their camping gear,” he recalled. “Luckily it was just a couple houses up.”

Johnson helped out some carpenters working on a house. They had trouble with the street improvements since they got here. “I shuttled them all. In fact, the van got here this morning, before the street was blocked off. They drove in then at lunchtime they couldn’t get out. But they got permission to let them out and now the van is parked at the end of the street.”

As Johnson turned his golf cart around he said, “This one guy is waiting to get his tools out of there. But, I’ll help him out of there!” He then roared off to the rescue!

Johnson is quick to help and doesn’t mind listening to the carpenter talking along the way. “I really haven’t had any bad reactions. Everybody has been rolling with the punches.”

Paul Johnson, a man working in the area, had nothing but kind words. “Oh, I’m pretty thankful, I’m telling you. Without ’em I’d be walking and sweating a lot more… making more trips I imagine.”

“It’s different from a normal day,” Johnson said. “I’m retired and I’m used to doing just whatever. But now I’ve got a schedule to follow here. But it’s good! It makes you feel good to get out here and help the city.”